According to authorities, Trickle's body was found in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, about 40 miles from Charlotte and near his Iron Station, N.C. home.

According to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department, Trickle called the sheriff's office and said "there would be a dead body and it would be his." A sheriff's lieutenant told the Associated Press that foul play was not suspected.

Chuck Trickle told the Review-Journal that his brother was healthy except for the pain under his left breast. He said the two brothers talked about a week ago and Chuck knew the condition was serious when he heard his brother curse for the first time in years.

"He was very down," Chuck Trickle told the Review-Journal. "He more or less said he didn't know how much longer he could take the pain."

Dick Trickle's apparent suicide continued a history of tragedy for the Trickle family. Chris Trickle, Chuck's son, was shot in Las Vegas in 1997. The aspiring racer died the following year and his case was never solved.

"To lose (Dick) and to lose my son takes a lot out of me," Chuck Trickle said. "This is not easy."

Dick Trickle, who became somewhat of a cult hero due to frequent mentions on ESPN's SportsCenter, won more than 1,200 short-track races around the country and made more than 300 starts in NASCAR's Cup Series. He was NASCAR's Cup rookie of the year in 1989 at age 48.

Chuck Trickle said his brother was so popular among race fans that "he could've run for president and won."

"He was there for everybody," Chuck Trickle told the Review-Journal. "He left a very large footprint on this earth."